Adventurous Skies
by SkywalkerT-65
Summary: No one could have expected what changed, when a crew of Blue Rogues rescued a strange girl from Valuan hands. The world itself would quake at the changes that three teenagers would bring to it. United in purpose and determined to save everyone. After all...Blue Rogues don't know the meaning of the world 'Impossible'. (Minor Edits)
1. Chapter 1

_The world of Arcadia. A world orbiting an average star, in an average system. Nothing unusual there. However, the third planet in the system was anything but average. Arcadia was a world of extremes. Larger than any terrestrial world, the 'surface' of the planet was hidden deep beneath endless clouds. Much as with any gas giant. What made this world...different...was the presence of exactly six moons, hanging in stationary positions around the world. Beneath these moons, continents and islands of rock floated gently in the clouds._

_Upon these islands, life developed. Each of the moons created a different ecosystem beneath their light. The burning deserts of the Red. The endless ocean of the Blue. Neverending thunderstorms and earthquakes of the Yellow. A land perpetually gripped in an ice age under the harsh Purple. Fertile grasslands and forests of the life-giving Green. And, finally, the calm and gentle light of the Silver._

_Beneath these colorful moons, human civilization arose. Men and women who used the power of their moons to craft great civilizations, the likes of which were never seen before. Great cities were carved beneath the ice, high in the forested mountains and underneath the storms. Each of these societies grew and expanded over their continent, eventually meeting the others. These first, faltering meetings were borne atop craft that conquered the skies. Distance meant nothing. These people traveled across Arcadia, exploring without a care for the various lifeforms around them. It was only when they met other humans that this changed._

_To this day, none know who fired the first shot. The peaceful meetings turned to violence and bloodshed. Fire, ice, life, lightning, water. They were brought to bear on one another in massive conflicts that shook the very world. Monsters roamed the world, destroying everything in their paths. The great civilizations continued to fight anyway, even as their people suffered and their lands were broken._

_Until, one day, the moons themselves took notice. Upset at their power being used for destruction, the moons wept. Endless rains of stone fell from the sky, devastating the Civilizations. Cities were torn asunder, land cracked and burned. The monsters were put to rest and their creators destroyed. Few survived these Rains of Destruction, and those who did forgot their heritage and technology._

_The land of Silver was reduced to scattered islands._

_The land of Green was left a ruin, primitive tribes barely eking out an existence in their primeval forests._

_Beneath the Red Moon, the sands covered the ruins of a brilliant land, as the survivors crowded around the few remaining oasis'._

_No one truly knows what became of the people of Purple._

_The great mariners of Blue entered into splendid isolation, forgetting their great navigators and explorers._

_The land of Yellow became fragmented city states, that would take centuries to band together._

_It is only now, thousands of years later, that this has changed. Valua, land of Yellow, has united and begun to expand anew. Ships of metal and fire once more sail the skies of Arcadia, fueling a war machine and people eager to rule. Only in Nasr, land of Red, has anyone truly stood against Valua. Even they can only control their own territory._

_To truly resist Valua, one has to look to the beautiful Silver Moon, where a new group stands against tyranny. These brave men and women are called...Air Pirates..._

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

There were few things that Vyse Dyne enjoyed more than the thrill of a hunt. The wind blowing through his hair, bitingly cold in his post at the very top of the _Albatross_. Inside the little crow's nest, there was no one but him, staring out in the distance. He knew there was a Valuan ship out there. Right down in his bones. The very idea of raiding one of those monsters had him on the edge with excitement. Valuan ships were the best prizes. Dangerous and rich, filled with adventure and plunder.

It was enough to have him wearing a grin, underneath a scarred cheek. Vyse idly stretched, his youthful body easily moving with the motion. At seventeen, he knew he was young for a Pirate. His dad never cared, though. Vyse was always the first to board a ship, with his blue-moonstone cutlasses out and ready. Not many Valuans could fight someone who dual-wielded _cutlasses_. The thought only served to make his grin widen.

"Briggs! Bring us up to full speed, now!"

That was his father, far below. Vyse craned his neck, easily spotting the tall man in the bridge. His father was a commanding presence, arms crossed over his chest and pistol resting on his hip. The crew ran around, following each and every order with a precision that no Valuan ship ever had. Ha. Suck it, military discipline!

Laughing to himself, Vyse turned back, and reached a hand to his face. His light blue tunic blew in the fierce wind as the _Albatross_ picked up speed, while his fingers brushed against the single eyepatch he wore. Unlike a traditional one, this eyepatch was more of an _eyeglass_. Made of the finest glass that money could buy, it included a twinge of Silver magic worked into the material. Magic that allowed the teenager to 'zoom in' as if he were holding a traditional telescope. Part of the reason he was up here, really.

_Gotcha!_

It didn't take long for his brown eyes to lock on, anyway. Chugging along in the distance, completely oblivious to the _Albatross_, was a Valuan battleship. From the rear, it looked like any other battleship. Fat stern, massive gallery, and four propellers churning through the clouds. The only difference was yellow moonstone alloy along the keel, standing in stark contrast to the dull iron of the rest of the hull. Whoever was in command of _that_ ship had deep pockets. Or it was just gaudy yellow paint.

Probably someone important then.

Ah well. More gold that way!

"Bring us right along side, Briggs!" Dad's voice echoed up again, as the _Albatross_ rapidly gained on the oblivious Valuan. From their position, hidden in clouds, the other ship likely couldn't even see them. "Ready grappling hooks!"

While the crew ran around and started twirling grappling hooks, Vyse pulled his own free. Idly passing it between his hands, he watched as the ship drew closer and closer. With an almost _lazy_ turn, the Valuan exposed her bow. An extremely gaudy and ostentatious golden prong shot up, yellow alloy rippling as it pointed up from the bow. Vyse groaned, and shook his head.

"Damn, that's ugly." He muttered under his breath. Give him a good old sail ship any day.

Ugly or not, the ship was a prime target. Before anyone aboard could react, the _Albatross_ pulled alongside. Briggs easily spun the agile sailor alongside the metal behemoth, dwarfing her. When her wings scraped against the side of the Valuan ship, the word _Cygnus_ barely visible on her flank, the crew of the _Albatross_ tossed over their grapples. A grinding sound rang through the night, as the two ships locked together. Panicked shouts in Valuan echoed from the _Cygnus_, while Vyse grinned and spun his own grapple.

Pulling his arm back, the Blue Rogue tossed it over. With practiced ease, the hook caught upon the deck behind the bridge, creating a rope bridge that Vyse was only too eager to use. One of his cutlasses, the small off hand one, was perfect for that. Taking a flying leap from his position in the crows nest, the teenager hooked it to the rope and slid down with a whoop of exhilaration. Wind blew by his face. The blue tunic he wore, normally loose with its open sleeves, clung tightly to his chest. His body coiled in preparation.

And he let go, flying over the railing of the battleship. Vyse's feet caught on the thick metal plating, skidding while his thick moccasins found their purchase.

"Air pirate scum!"

Right in front of five Valuan marines, all of them kitted out in full plate armor. Helmets hid their faces, and broadswords were raised up. It was impossible to tell if they were shocked or not. Vyse didn't much care either way, grinning cheekily at them, idly spinning his cutlasses in his hand. Searchlights came to life behind him, their electric light glinting off the bright azure blades in his hand. The dull shine of equally dull green armor came from the soldiers.

Vyse just rolled his eyes at them. "Nice to see a welcoming party! So, you Valuans want to surrender or...?"

That got a reaction. The soldiers tightened their grips on their weapons, and one stepped forward. The marks of a sergeant were carved into the shoulders of his armor. A deep voice, speaking in Valuan, rang over the deck. "This is a ship of the Valuan Imperial Armada! Do you _realize_ who you're attacking, welp?"

"'course I do! You guys have the best stuff!" Vyse shot back, in Valuan as well. You didn't live in Mid-Ocean and raid without picking up that language quickly.

"Attacking us all by yourself?" The soldier shook his head, almost seeming perplexed behind his anger. Almost. "You're incredibly brave, or just stupid. We'll be tossing you overboard!"

Vyse could have shot back with a smart ass remark, but he didn't need to.

"Not if I'm here, you aren't!"

Because a female voice did it for him. Dropping lightly to the deck next to him, spotlights shining on her green moonstone boomerang, was his best friend. Aika sent Vyse a lazy grin, completely unconcerned by the Valuan guards. Not much younger than Vyse himself, the teenage girl looked every _inch_ the Air Pirate. Her body was clad in a tight fitting yellow dress, her arms and legs left completely bare safe for skintight shorts preserving her modesty. Her lean body rippled with muscle, from long years raiding and training to use her boomerang- a weapon that dwarfed her -properly. That her long orange hair was tied back into two ponytails only served to accentuate the image.

No one would call her ugly, but she certainly wasn't classically pretty either, with her tanned face and sharp features. Or her brown eyes, narrowed at the soldiers.

"Sorry I'm late," she did grin cheekily, though. "Name's Aika, I'm a Blue Rogue like Vyse. And we're here to rob you blind!"

The Valuans were distinctly unamused. Vyse laughed. "Oh Aika, never change."

"Not planning on it!" She trilled at him, though her eyes- and Vyse's, for that matter -never once left the guards or their sharp blades.

Guards who had quickly tired of this nonsense, clearly. "Enough! We're going to kill you brats, and toss your bodies overboard!"

"Ooh...scary!"

Vyse rolled his eyes, "Aika."

"What?" His friend winked out of the corner of her eye, even as she pulled back her arm to let her boomerang fly.

She wouldn't get the chance. The sergeant began to rush forward...only for the _bang_ of a handgun to echo. His cheap armor provided no protection. The spark of an impact flew from his helmet, and the man tumbled to the deck. Blood flowed from a massive hole in his helmet, as the other soldiers spun around to see where the shot had come from.

As it turned out, it was from Vyse's father. Dyne held a smoking pistol in his hand, while two of his crew stood on either side of him. "Are you two done? We have a job to do."

"Heh..." Vyse scratched the back of his head with his off-hand. "Sorry, dad."

Dyne rolled his eyes, "When we're on a mission, it's not 'dad'. It's _Captain_." His pistol never left the Valuan guards, though. "Now, get to the bridge and shut off the engines! We'll deal with these guards."

"Aye aye, _Captain_." Vyse gave a mock salute, waving at Aika as he spun on his heel. "Come on!"

"Right behind you, Vyse!" The redhead grinned wildly, her hair whipping behind her while gunfire broke out on the deck. Neither teenager looked back, as they shot into the dark bowels of the _Cygnus_, looking for the bridge.

* * *

_Been on one battleship, been on them all._

Vyse couldn't help but roll his eyes, as he slammed the door marked 'bridge' open. All Valuan ships followed the same layout, and as ugly as she was, the _Cygnus_ was no different. Her bridge, however, was completely empty.

"Aw, come on!" Aika complained, slinking in behind Vyse. Her moves were all elegance and smooth, as she stalked around the empty consoles. "Did they all run away?"

Her friend shrugged, "Guess so? Not every Valuan is brave I guess."

While Aika pouted, Vyse scanned the bridge. Consoles were laid out facing the expansive windows. A traditional wheel rested at the very front, though it was empty now. The blinking lights meant exactly _nothing_ to him, though. He did curl his lip a bit at the massive chair at the back, raised above everyone else. Valuans...why they needed to be above everyone was beyond him.

Oh well, something for another time. His brown gaze shifted, coming upon a swaying door leading deeper into the vessel. Reaching out a hand, he tapped Aika on the shoulder. Spinning around, her eyes narrowing at the door, Aika responded with a nod. And an absolutely _evil_ grin.

He almost felt sorry for the Valuans.

Almost.

"Bet they're running for the lifeboats?" Vyse asked, almost rhetorically.

Aika snorted, "Fool's bet, Vyse."

Grinning at his friend, the brunette waved a hand with his cutlass. "Ladies first."

"How honorable!"

Aika gave a mock bow, and shot forward through the door, almost faster than Vyse could follow. He shook his head, a fond smile crossing his face. The pair had been friends since they were just little kids. Best friends. It was why they teased each other so much, as he followed after her rapid footsteps. They had been on more than one raid together, and could match each other perfectly. Vyse would normally go first, and Aika would normally follow. Right now, though, he let her go first. After all...

Few things annoyed her as much as cowards who abandoned their men.

_I don't want to ever be on her bad side like _that_!_

Grin refusing to fade, Vyse slowed his pace, as he and Aika came out inside what he thought would be the lifeboat bay. Instead, they found themselves inside one of the cannon rooms. Probably the lower one, secondary guns retracted into loading positions. The Valuans hadn't been expecting combat...but, even so, someone should have been in the room. Instead, there was just the cannons, dully glinting in the light. Gunpowder and cannonballs neatly in their containers on either side.

It was deserted. Save for the sound of shuffling, on the walkway leading to the upper level of guns on this deck.

"Aika?" Vyse shared a look with his friend. A single eyebrow crawling up his face.

The redhead rolled her eyes and mouthed _'cowards'_ at him. She shook her head, and shot over towards the stairway at the center of the cannon gallery. Vyse shook his own head, following after her. A short climb later, and they were staring across the way, at...well.

Vyse wasn't quite sure. A blonde figure, turning their head to look his way. His first instinct was to say it was a woman. Slim, aristocratic features. High cheeks and a narrow nose, over full lips. Bright blue eyes, staring disdainfully at him underneath a mop of blonde hair. The hair was slicked forward a bit, raising in a puff over one eye, while the rest fell on the figure's shoulders. Broad shoulders underneath a bright white uniform, glaringly decorated by golden tassels hanging off pauldrons. On the figure's chest, were a dizzying array of Valuan medals. The tight black pants they wore only added to the incongruity of it all. Wasn't this a combat vessel?

"Ah...I see that Air Pirates have decided to _infest_ my ship." The figure spoke, with a distinctly- if very feminine -_male_ voice. A man, then. Admittedly a very _pretty_ man, but a man nonetheless. "How quaint. Do you plan to steal everything I own as well?"

"That was kinda the plan, yeah." Vyse rolled his shoulders, cutlasses tightening in his hands. "You are?"

The man's lip curled in disgust, as if he were looking at a particularly disgusting bug. "I am Alfonso, cherished son of Valua's Royal Family. As well as the First Admiral of the Imperial Armada. I should hardly be surprised an _Air Pirate_ does not recognize me."

"Nah, not ringing a bell. Besides, I thought the Prince was..." Vyse didn't actually know the Prince of Valua, but he sincerely hoped this man wasn't it. He may not _like_ Valua much, but he didn't wish this man on anyone.

"I'm not the Prince, you ingrate!" Alfonso's high-pitched voice rang out indignantly. "He is my cousin!"

Beside Vyse, Aika pouted. "Aww...that means you aren't as loaded as he probably is. Do you at least have _some_ gold around here?"

While Alfonso began to _twitch_ in irritation, Vyse's eyes trailed over to his side. A man in silver armor, bearing the rank markings of a Commander, was beside him. Over _that_ man's armored shoulder, hung a small white...something. Narrowing his eyes, the Pirate looked a bit closer...and felt his blood run cold. Hanging over his arm with blood rolling down her forehead, was a young woman. A girl no older than he was. Her pale skin and almost platinum blonde hair stood out, looking like nothing he had ever seen before.

Even if she were as dark skinned as a Nasrean or as fair as a Valuan, it wouldn't make much difference to him, though. What mattered was the fact that an Admiral of the Armada was apparently kidnapping a young girl.

"Hey, what's with the girl?" Vyse asked, his voice deceptively calm. Angry brown eyes narrowed, when they turned to a smugly smiling Alfonso. "I didn't think someone of your _stature_ would stoop to kidnapping."

Alfonso laughed haughtily, flipping a cape over his shoulder. "Who she is, and what she is doing here, are none of your concern _Pirate_. Now, if you are quite finished, I have places to be." A snap of his finger had four men in light armor, lighter even than the marines on the deck, appear beside him. "Guards, take care of the trash."

Without even looking back, Alfonso spun on his heel and marched out of the room with his apparent Vice Captain following along. Vyse would have called after him, however, he was rather distracted by a Valuan guard jumping forward. A dull steel blade, not a hint of moonstone ore, clashed with a hastily raised cutlass. Vyse felt the impact in his bones, his entire body vibrating with the impact.

Gritting his teeth, the teenager brought his larger blade up in a swift vertical stab. It wasn't designed for it, as a cutlass was a cutting weapon.

It didn't matter. The sharpened Blue moonstone cut right through the man's thin armor, and impaled into his stomach. The Valuan let out a strangled gasp, even as Vyse pulled his weapon free and spun away. Without another sound, the guard fell into the darkness below, while Vyse spun and met his comrade head on. His cutlasses were raised in an 'x' pose, catching the Valuan blade between them. He imagined that the man behind the helmet was gaping.

"Nice try!" Vyse taunted, _yanking_ his blades. The Valuan stumbled, even as Vyse brought his leg up and delivered a sharp kick to his chest.

Even through his armor, the man felt the blow. He grunted in pain, pulling back and shaking his head. Vyse didn't give him much of a chance to rest, sprinting forward. His cutlass, the offhand one, slashing horizontally at the man's weak neck armor. The soldier raised his own blade, catching Vyse's weapon...

Leaving his chest undefended, as Vyse's other blade came up and slashed across it. Carving through metal and flesh, dropping the man in a puddle at his feet.

_"Bruja! Bruja!"*_

Cries of _'witch'_ echoed behind him, and Vyse turned away from his downed foes. The remaining two guards were coated in flames, jumping over the edge in a mad escape from Aika. Who flashed him a thumbs up, grin crossing her face. "You really think the Valuans would learn by now. It's not like Magic is that rare!"

"Sure, but they're not from Nasr. They don't use _red_ Magic." Vyse rolled his eyes, smiling at his friend.

"Meh." Aika shrugged, and pointed her boomerang at the door. "Should we chase after pretty boy?"

Vyse bit his lip, frowning deeply. Strictly speaking, they owned the ship. That was what they were here for. And if he was a Black Pirate...that would be enough.

He wasn't.

"No, we need to rescue that girl." The teenager squared his shoulders, and marched across the walkway towards where Alfonso had fled.

Aika laughed behind him, "Knight in shining armor, much?"

Sending his friend a flat look, Vyse didn't bother raising to _that_ bait. Instead, he raised his leg and kicked the door open, rushing through with his weapons ready. Only to see an empty room, with a _heavy_ bulkhead locked in front of him. He wasn't going to get through that. Biting back a curse, the Rogue shifted his gaze, coming upon another- much smaller -door.

One that even from here, he could tell lead to the exterior of the ship.

_Yay. Climbing a ladder down the side of a Valuan ship._

* * *

"Aika...get the girl." Vyse whispered to his friend, as the pair hid in the back of the lifeboat bay. Dozens of the little craft surrounded them, while Alfonso and his Vice Captain stood at the rear of the ship. Valuan lifeboats were held in the stern of the warships, and the elaborate crest on the back was actually a hatch leading to the sky.

A hatch that was currently, and very noisily, falling. Perfect.

Or it would have been, if Vyse couldn't hear Alfonso over the roar of gears and the rushing wind outside.

"I've finished my own preparations...to dispose of a traitor." The Admiral's high voice was filled with malice and _amusement_, as his Vice Captain spun in shock. "Oh don't act so surprised! I can hardly return to the Empress and tell her that I lost my ship in a _fair fight_. No, there must be a scapegoat."

While the panicked, and clearly unarmed, officer backed up...Alfonso stalked forward. From his side, he drew a fancy Yellow moonstone rapier, pointing it squarely at the Vice Captain. Vyse couldn't see more than the edge of his face. But he could see the _grin_ upon it.

"Admiral, please! Reconsider what you're doing!" The Vice-Captain protested, _begged_. He held his hands in front of him, clasped in surrender. "I-I won't tell anyone what happened!"

Alfonso laughed merrily, "Come now, you don't honestly expect me to believe that, do you? My reputation is at stake here, and I'm afraid sacrifices must be made." Stabbing forward with his blade, Alfonso stabbed the helpless man straight through without an ounce of hesitation. "Now kindly _die_."

The Vice Captain gurgled something, and fell to the floor. Alfonso looked down on him, whipping his blade to the side to clean the blood from it. "Pitiful. Still, you had some use at the end. I'll make sure the Empress knows you were a traitor who-"

"Alfonso!"

Vyse had enough. He no longer cared about stealth. He charged forward, cutlasses held at the ready. Alfonso spun about, blue eyes wide with shock and...perhaps...a hint of fear.

"You murderer! What Admiral kills his own men?" Vyse continued to shout, raising his blades to bring them down on the Admiral. "I won't forgive you for this!"

Alfonso just curled his lip, though the fear never left his eyes. "I'm afraid I could care less what a mongrel thinks of me. Not that it really matters, either." The Admiral backed up, and raised his fingers to his lips. An ear-piercing whistle echoed through the bay, followed by a single shout. "Antonio!"

Slowing his pace, Vyse felt a chill on his spine. "Antonio?"

"Yes, I'm sure you'll be _fast_ friends." Alfonso raised his hand further, and brushed his hair back disdainfully. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I really must be going."

Before Vyse could so much as _move_ towards the coward, the bay doors- that he had seen out of the corner of his eyes -were bodily flung open. An utterly _massive_ Valuan Warrior Bull stood in the entrance. It snorted and pawed at the ground, beady black eyes looking for its master. A master who stood in a lifeboat, smiling smugly.

"Farewell, pest. I'd wish you luck, but..." Alfonso arrogantly flipped his hair, grinning evilly. "I'm afraid I really don't care. I can get another ship, and replace Antonio. I simply can't stand to be near you anymore."

Without another word, the Admiral blasted off into the sky, leaving his dying Vice Captain and Warbeast behind.

"Damnit!" Vyse ground out, even as he jumped to the side. Antonio had taken his momentary inattention to _charge_.

The massive bull, clad in dull grey armor, practically rippled with muscle. Each footstep shook the _Cygnus_ beneath the beast. And Vyse knew that he could be crushed without effort.

_How am I going to kill this thing?_ He mentally screamed, rolling to the side again. Antonio charged past him, slamming through lifeboats and splintering them like so much kindling. The bull snorted in frustration, and spun back around. It stomped on the ground, lowering for another charge.

"Vyse!"

Aika's voice rang clear and true, as her boomerang spun in and clonked the bull on the head. Antonio grunted, and shook his head to clear it, while the green moonstone weapon twirled back to its owner. Aika stood above the pale girl, her hands outstretched. Beneath her feet, a red runic circle was glowing _brightly_.

"Keep it busy, I'm going to burn it!" She shouted, her voice strained by the need to concentrate. "Moons..."

Vyse tuned his friend out, and grimaced. He raised his cutlasses at Antonio, daring the bull to charge at him again. Antonio was only too happy to oblige. Pounding upon the deck, massive dents following each step, the bull charged right at Vyse. Praying to every single Moon that his friend knew what she was doing, Vyse did the only thing that came to mind. He couldn't stop the bull. He didn't think slashing its face would do any good.

So he coiled his legs and _jumped_. Antonio snorted in confusion, as the Blue Rogue flew in a graceful arc, and landed on his back.

The confusion rather quickly changed to raging _anger_. The bull began bucking in a desperate attempt to unseat the Rogue. Vyse cried out in frustration, his off-hand blade flying out of his grip when he was forced to fall to his stomach and hold on for dear life. Antonio practically jumped and bounded, destroying more lifeboats in a desperate attempt to get rid of Vyse. Who could only grit his teeth, his arms and legs tiring as he crawled forward.

His eyes had locked onto an opening in the armor, right where the neck was. If he could just...a little...

"Vyse! Move, now!"

He didn't even hesitate. Vyse let go of his grip on the raging bull and was tossed aside like garbage. He spun head over heels, his vision clouding...until he landed, painfully, inside a pile of crates. Groaning in pain, the Rogue's entire world spun, as a cry of pain echoed.

When his vision cleared, he saw Antonio _burning_. His very armor alight, as the bull charged out over the open bay door, falling into the endless sky beyond it.

"Heh...heh...that took a lot out of me," Aika laughed weakly, swaying on her feet. "Wooooowwww, never do that again."

Vyse would have laughed, but he was rather distracted by punching his way out of his resting place. Wood fell around the Rogue, as he stumbled to his feet. After a quick glance to make sure Aika was fine, he sprinted over to the fallen Vice Captain.

Valuan or not, that man didn't deserve to die. Vyse fell to his knees by the man, frantically reaching into his pack. Even as his own aches and pains reminded him that he _probably_ needed to rest, he pulled out a little green crystal. It was a quirk of Green Magic. If you had a good focus, and a good mage, you could _crystalize_ spells. The one he held in his hand was the weakest of the Green School.

Even Sacri had its uses.

"Come on..." Vyse muttered, pressing the crystal into the man's gaping stomach wound. Vyse watched, unable to do anything else, as the bright green light suffused the man's body.

Before his eyes, the skin began to stitch itself together. The man's pained breathing slowly evened out...and didn't stop.

_Thank the Moons..._

Sighing in relief, Vyse gently pulled the soldier out of the way of the bay door, and propped him against an intact lifeboat. He left him resting there, and returned to his friend. Aika sent him a weary smile, and gestured at the girl next to her. "Want to take a look? She seems fine, even if her clothes are odd."

Now that he looked, the teenager couldn't dispute the point. Up close, the girl was a tiny little thing. Her body was thin and petite, covered in a white dress that covered everything except for her shoulders and a little part around her chest. Her almost deathly pale skin was only marred by three strange tattoos, one upon her forehead, and two on either shoulder. She...looked like no one he had ever seen before.

"I wonder where she's from?" Vyse asked aloud, eyes drifting over to Aika.

The redhead shrugged, biting her lip in thought. "I dunno, but we should probably take her with us. Whatever reason Valua had for wanting her couldn't be good."

As he looked at the unconscious girl, Vyse couldn't dispute the point...

* * *

***I'm choosing to interpret the nations as they are in game. Valua, being the 'Spain' analogue will use Spanish as 'Valuan'. The Mid-Ocean language is English, the Nasr language is Coptic (I'll explain more on _that_ one when we get to Nasr)...and so on and so forth.**

**Also, there we go. The proper first chapter.**

**Anyone who _has_ played the game, will note the first major change here. To anyone reading this who hasn't, you'll see.**

Also, it's entirely possible some of FSN Gilgamesh leaked into Alfonso's character. Trying to poke at my muse for an FGO project involves watching FSN, and...yeah. Alfonso is basically a (cowardly) amalgamation of all of Gil's negative traits, without any of his positives.

Anyway, to explain this entire thing: anyone who knows me, knows that Arcadia is, and always has been, my absolute favorite piece of media. Not Stargate, not Star Wars (username aside), not KC.

What has always stopped me from _writing_ anything for it, is how small the fanbase is. I know, and have known, that it would never get much interest. This, and the knowledge that my other stuff _does_ get attention, kept me from doing a novelization.

With work slowly killing me right now, I decided to go 'screw it' and make this. A novelization of the game, so mostly the same plot...though I will expand on the world and the last third will be where major changes crop up. Regardless, this- more than anything else I've written -is a pure vanity project. This is something I'm writing because I want to, more than because I expect a lot of activity.

I may call it a novelization, by the way, but it is going to be quite different from just 'recycle game scenes'. I've already done part of that here. As we move forward, more and more bits will change up. I'm going to be giving characters more development, dig more into world building, and show more motivations for actions. It won't just be the game in written form. Don't worry about _that_.

(Minor edits to try and fit the format better, though those are mostly in the other chapters already written)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Letting out a soft sigh, Vyse shifted in his seat. A discomforted grimace crossed his face. Aches and pains from his impromptu bull ride remained, and he refused to waste healing supplies on them. Keeping the Valuan officer alive required more than he did, and there was the girl too. A girl he was sitting beside, as she fitfully rested in a bed aboard the _Albatross_. As Blue Rogues often did, his father had let the Valuans go- well, without all their valuables -and take the _Cygnus_ back to Valua. Why bother keeping the ship? They couldn't very well sell it! And they weren't Black Pirates, so they wouldn't just kill everyone either.

However, in addition to the biggest haul of gold Vyse had ever seen, Dyne had made the choice to take both the injured officer _and_ the girl aboard his own ship. It wasn't a hard choice. The Valuans couldn't be trusted not to finish the job with the officer. And the girl couldn't be left with her kidnappers. Thus, two occupied beds.

_I wonder who they are..._ Vyse resisted the urge to reach a hand out and pull the covers across the girl. She constantly tossed and turned in her sleep. _I've never seen clothes like hers..._

"Hey, Vyse," Aika popped her head into the room, knocking his thoughts off course. "She wake up yet?"

Vyse twisted his head, sending a tired smile at his oldest friend. "Nah, still asleep. Looks like nightmares."

His friend grimaced, and shook her head as she stepped fully into the room. Her feet creaked against old wooden planks with each step. The _Albatross_ was well-loved, but she was also a bit long in the tooth. Her plain wooden frames didn't leave much to the imagination, surrounding the two pirates and the girl. Save for a single porthole, allowing natural light into the room.

Not that any of Captain Dyne's crew would give up their ship for anything.

"Can't blame her," Aika sighed, setting down in a seat across from Vyse. She let out a groan of frustration, stretching her lithe body to work out kinks. "Though I could probably sleep for a day, myself!"

"Tired?"

Aika nodded, leaning forward to prop her hands against her chin. Tired brown eyes stared over at Vyse, over a crooked smile. "I think that was the first time I ever used Pyres."

Vyse winced. He was utter garbage at any magic that _wasn't_ Red-based, and he knew how tiring Pyres was. Especially in combat. His mother made him promise not to try it until he was much, much older. Desperate times...

"It's not a big deal, though," the redhead continued, sighing again. Her eyes drifted away from Vyse, and over the mysterious girl in the bed. "I wonder where she's from. Don't you?"

"Of course." Vyse snorted a bit, his gaze returning to the girl as well. Her breathing had finally evened out, from..._whatever_ it was she had been dreaming about. In fact, the girl was shifting as if she was waking up.

Something confirmed by her eyes opening. Brilliant, bright green, and completely unlike anything Vyse had ever seen. He couldn't help but stare, because really, he had _never_ seen eyes that shade of green before. If the girl's hair and clothes and pale skin were all odd, he could ignore it. He couldn't ignore her eyes, because he had been taught to always look someone in the eye.

_And they're so _different_!_

Shaking his head, Vyse smiled at the girl. And, suddenly beside him, Aika did the same. Though with a bit more 'oohing' and 'ahhing' about how the girl was actually awake now.

"Hi! About time you woke up, sleepyhead." Aika was a self-proclaimed master at cheering someone up. Or so she liked to say, as the strange girl blinked owlishly at her.

"H-hello..." She stuttered a bit, her voice softer than anyone that either Pirate had ever met. There was almost a musical tone to it, underneath her obvious nerves. "Um-where am I?"

"Aboard our pirate ship, the _Albatross_," Vyse took over, planting a hand on his chest and flashing his signature grin. He thought that the scar on his cheek and the glass on his eye made him look quite _roguish_ when he did it. "We rescued you from the Valuans, when we attacked their ship."

The girl started, her already wide eyes widening further. "Attack?"

Both of the pirates shared a look at that, before Aika- much more gently -continued speaking. "Ah...don't worry, we're not Black Pirates. We're Blue Rogues, so we won't hurt you or anything. We just wanted to make sure you were safe!"

"I-I'm sorry, but I don't know what that means." The girl fidgeted in her bed, her green eyes bouncing between both pirates. Her head tilted to the side, silvery-blonde hair falling over her neck with each movement. "What is a...pirate?"

_What._

Vyse blinked, very slowly, while Aika's jaw dropped open. "You don't know what a pirate is? Sailing alone in Mid-Ocean?"

"No...?" The girl's hands clenched in her thin blanket, as she bit her lip. She looked anywhere but at the two teenagers above her. "Is that strange?"

"I..." Aika seemed completely flummoxed by what she was hearing, as she looked at Vyse, then back at the girl. "A bit, yeah. Uh...can you tell us your name, at least?"

As she asked that question, the redhead leaned over to whisper in Vyse's ear. _"Where in the moons is she from?"_

_"How should I know?"_

Vyse shot back, eyes narrowed in thought. Strange clothes, even stranger lack of knowledge. He didn't _think_ the girl was lying. _"We'll need to ask that, later."_

Aika nodded, returning her smile to the girl, as she looked up. "Well?"

"...Fina. My name is Fina." The girl, Fina, smiled shyly at her visitors. A small, barely there, smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"Fina, huh." Vyse tasted the name on his lips. It was as strange as the girl it belonged to. Not Valuan or anything like it, and not really Mid-Ocean either. Huh. "Well, I think it's a nice name. It's so...feminine."

"Um...thank you?" Fina blinked slowly, looking at Vyse as if she were a confused Huskra.

Aika just slapped her face in her palm, and let out a long suffering sigh. "Vyse, if that was supposed to be a compliment, you have a _lot_ of work to do."

The pirate gaped at his friend, before narrowing his eyes into a glare. And raising a finger to point at her. "Hey, Aika! I know how to compliment a girl!"

"Apparently, no, no you don't."

The two pirates glared at each other, though there was no real _bite_ to it. Aika was teasing Vyse, and he knew it as well as anyone. Though it did annoy him a bit. It wasn't like he got to practice compliments much, when the only unattached girls around were Aika and a couple of the other raiders. Besides, he thought...it...was...

"You two must be good friends." Fina was giggling, behind her hand. Her wide green eyes sparkled with amusement, behind her lingering confusion.

Vyse let his glare fade away, like dust in the wind. A sheepish smirk replacing it, as he scratched the back of his head. "Heh...yeah, Aika and I have known each other since we were kids."

"And Vyse has always been bad with girls," Aika continued, shooting a smug grin at her friend. Who sputtered at her, while the redhead laughed and turned to Fina. "Anyway, you really _don't_ know what Pirates are?"

Fina nodded shyly, looking a bit uncomfortable to admit that. "No, I'm sorry, I don't. I...didn't know about them, when I left home."

The other two teenagers shared a small sigh at that. Not that either of them let Fina _see_ that, since the girl seemed uncomfortable enough as it was. Instead, they just sat back down beside her bed, and set about explaining things. If the girl was going to be traveling alone, she probably needed to know what pirates actually were. She was _very_ lucky it wasn't Black Pirates who had attacked Alfonso. They would have killed her. Or done worse.

"Right," Vyse started, pointing down at his clothes. Blue fabric that fit what he _was_. "There are two kinds of Air Pirates. Aika and I are Blue Rogues." He grinned a bit, and hooked a thumb at himself- and the _Albatross_ behind him. "Blue Rogues never, _ever_ attack defenseless ships. We only attack armed ships, and mostly Valuan Armada ships at that. We steal from the rich, and give back to the poor and needy."

Aika nodded along, a distasteful frown crossing her face at what she had to tell Fina. "Black Pirates are the other kind of Air Pirate. They attack anyone, but mostly people who can't fight back. A Black Pirate is a coward, who only wants the gold for themselves."

After what had given Vyse his scar, which everyone assumed was a Black Pirate attack, Aika _hated_ the other type of Air Pirate. Even beyond how much she didn't like that they attacked people who couldn't defend themselves. It was _wrong_.

Vyse couldn't really disagree with her.

As for Fina? She looked even paler than she had before, as her hands clenched down tightly on the cover she wore. Her green eyes were a bit panicked, like she didn't understand...and didn't want to. This wasn't the confusion, this was her being unable to reconcile what the Black Pirates did.

"These Black Pirates sound very scary," the blonde muttered, so softly it was barely audible over the rush of wind outside the _Albatross_.

"Don't worry, we won't let them hurt you." Vyse sprung to his feet, crossing his arms over his chest. He even spread his legs a bit, to strike a suitably fitting pose. His grin was at epic proportions now. "After all, we're Rogues. No one hurts anyone that we care about!"

Aika sighed, and laughed a little. "What the musclehead over there is saying, is that as long as you're with us, you're safe."

Fina looked between the two pirates...and relaxed, if only a little. A tiny smile appeared on her thin lips, and she nodded at Aika. "T-thank you."

"No problem!"

Well. There wasn't a problem with keeping Fina safe from other Pirates. There _was_ a problem coming from the voice tube, mounted in the corner of the room. A scratchy, but very recognizable voice. Vyse flinched and dropped his 'heroic pose'. Aika turned pale as a ghost. Fina looked confused, both at the voice tube itself, and the reaction of the pirates to it.

"...that was Dad, wasn't it?" Vyse gulped, looking down at his hands. That were shaking a bit. "I forgot what time it was."

A nod came from his friend, "Yeah, you did. He is _not_ going to be happy."

With the teenage pirates looking so scared, all Fina could do was ask the obvious question. "Was that Vyse's father? Is something the matter?"

Once more scratching his head, Vyse began _casually_ sidling towards the door. "My dad is the Captain of the _Albatross_. I'm...a bit late for my shift."

While Fina titled her head at the word 'Captain', Aika just sighed. And stepped forward to push Vyse out of the door. While her friend complained about that, the redhead looked over her shoulder and sent a comforting grin Fina's way.

"Don't worry, we'll explain everything later. You should rest for now!"

And just like that, the two pirates left a _very_ confused young woman behind them.

* * *

"You're late, Vyse."

The bridge of the _Albatross_ was the second most expansive position on the vessel, after the gun deck. A thick blue carpet, adorned with the logo of the Blue Storm, covered most of the hard wooden planking. Across the walls, various flags and emblems hung. Some from prizes- Vyse saw the flag of the _Cygnus_ hanging over a pair of pistols mounted on the wall -and some from other Blue Rogue groups. The front of the cabin was mostly taken up by the wheel, various consoles controlling the engines, and _massive_ windows. Beyond those windows, the form of Pirate Isle was visible in the distance, floating in the endless sea of clouds that was Mid-Ocean.

Of course, Vyse didn't spare much more than a glance to any of that.

"Sorry, Dad..."

Because, standing by the large chart table, was his father. Dyne was an imposing man under the best of circumstances. Taller than his son, and much more ruggedly built. Where Vyse was lithe, Dyne was muscle. Where Vyse still had the ungainly and bony body of a teenager, Dyne was a man in his prime. He wore a simple tunic and leather pants, nothing ostentatious or even showing off his position as 'Captain'. And his gruff-featured face, mustache and all, was currently frowning at his son too. Which was something Vyse _never_ liked seeing.

_I feel like a little kid, whenever he does that._

Dyne's frown deepened, as he raised up a calloused hand to wave a finger at his son. "Remember, when we're aboard ship, it's _Captain_. Not 'dad'. How many times have I told you that, Vyse?"

"...a lot." The teenager flushed slightly, though in his defense, he knew Dad as...well. _Dad_. It felt odd to call him 'Captain' all the time! "Sorry, Captain. Aika and I were just talking with Fina."

"Fina?" Dyne's frown faded, replaced by a confused expression. He pursed his lips, and walked over to his son. A meaty hand fell down on Vyse's shoulder, as the elder man looked down into his son's eyes. "Did the girl wake up?"

"Yeah. She seems a bit...strange."

Letting go of his son, Dyne crossed his arms and hummed thoughtfully. "Normally I'd lecture you about how being late on a ship can mean life and death." A smirk crossed his rugged face, at the sputtering from his son. Dyne held his hand up, and continued, "But if the girl, Fina you said, woke up? At least that's a good reason. Did you find out anything about where she's from?"

Vyse shook his head, "Not really. She..."

"Doesn't even know what Air Pirates are!" Aika chirped, brushing past Vyse to look out the expansive windows.

Dyne sent a dry look at the redhead, shaking his head in amusement. It didn't hide the worry in his brown eyes. "Doesn't know what Air Pirates are...hm. No one who travels in these parts doesn't at least know the name. Unless she's from North Ocean and genuinely doesn't know because Valua keeps things locked down tight over there."

"But, why would..." Vyse began, only to have his eyes widen. "Oh. You don't think she is either, do you?"

"Of course not." The Captain smiled, uncrossing his arms to throw them up in a shrug. "I've been to North Ocean. She isn't dressed like someone who lives there, or Valua. I've never seen clothes like hers _anywhere_."

"I thought they were strange too," Aika spoke up again, now leaning against the navigation table. Landis, the navigator, was sending the odd glare or two her way, as she disrupted his work. "I mean, I've never seen anyone wear a dress like that!"

Dyne chuckled, "The day anyone gets _you_ into a dress, Aika, is the day I retire."

While the redhead gave a sheepish smile and blushed brighter than her hair, Dyne turned back to his son. His entire bearing conveyed intense curiosity. From the twinkle in his eyes, to the little frown on his face. As well as the way he leaned forward and tapped his foot, the rhythmic beat audible over even the sounds of a ship in movement.

"Hm. As soon as we've docked, I want you to bring Fina to my office, Vyse." Dyne looked his son straight in the eye, and spoke with utmost seriousness. "I don't believe she is any threat to us, or our home. Not intentionally." As he said that, the older sailor's eyes drifted back to the flag of the _Cygnus_. A deeper frown crossed his lips. "But if the Valuans are after her, I want to know _why_. I won't send her off on her own, however, if we need to hide her..."

Dyne trailed off, while Vyse nodded his head. "I understand. I think you'll like her, too! She's...nice."

"A bit strange, but nice!" Aika agreed with a vigorous nod, her twintails bobbing with the motion of her head.

Smiling slightly, the Captain nodded. "I'm sure I will. Now, with that mystery out of the way, has the Valuan woken up?"

Both Vyse _and_ Aika winced. They had...completely forgotten about the man they saved. He was in a different room from Fina, and in all the excitement, they hadn't bothered to check up on him. There was a guard posted by the door, to be safe, and _he_ had seemed fine. Though, in all fairness, Luke didn't exactly _talk_ much. Still! Everything had seemed just fine, from what they saw.

Though, if the disapproving look on Dyne's face was any indication, he didn't much agree. Oops?

"I'll let you off the hook, _this_ time." Dyne sighed, shaking his head in fond bemusement. "Honestly, I'm not even surprised. We don't normally take prisoners home with us. Just...keep an eye out, alright? I want you working with Fina, but that Valuan is probably going to want to talk to who saved him."

"Got it, Da-" Vyse cut himself off, when Dyne narrowed his eyes. "Heh...got it, _Captain_."

"Good. Now, you two need to get out on deck and help stow the sails. We'll be home soon, and I want the _Albatross_ docked as quickly as possible. The sooner we're all home and I can talk to our _guests_, the better." Dyne stepped away, muttering something under his breath about having a girl from a strange land and a Valuan Commander on Pirate Isle.

Vyse and Aika shared guilty grins, and set out to do what was asked of them. They wanted to be home as much as anyone, after all!

* * *

**AN: Need to remember to crosspost this.**

**Also, to those not on SV or otherwise not reading my fics: _this_ is very much more my average chapter length.**


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